Heartbreak Warfare
by Ruby Casablanca
Summary: Both of them had very different views of the so called "most romantic day of the year". They guessed it was always bound to end badly...


**A/N: This story is not related to the song by John Mayer at all. It's a little more sad than I would've hoped to make on Valentine's Day, but I think it might be a refreshing change to all the fluff going around. Sorry to all the Rose/Ten fans out there. Anyway, Enjoy!**

Heartbreak Warfare

Ever since she was a young girl, Rose had loved Valentine's Day. There was something about the way the air smelled just a tad bit sweeter, and that the flowers always seemed to be in full bloom. She used to love spying on all the couples whenever her mum would take her out to the park. She would sit on the benches with her little binoculars and scan the area for love, her eyes resting on the first couple she'd see. She'd watch them for hours if she could, the way they all seemed to hold hands and give each other kisses, all in perfect bliss. The elderly couples were her favorite to watch, their old-fashioned expressions of devotion becoming the most sentimental and important in her heart. She'd sit on those benches all day, right up until her mum came to retrieve her, scolding her for being rude and invading the privacy of others. She didn't really care; she was too filled with wonder to care, and if she could, she would sneak out in the evening to see the park in lights, when hundreds would gather under the moonlight to dance and just be together. To Rose, that was perfection.

Nothing had changed in the years since. Though she had long since dropped her binoculars and park stalking, she still loved the day's air. It was sweet, filled with the aroma of chocolate and freshly cut roses, and yet, this year, there was a little something extra to it was well.

The market in London was crowded, filled with those who had yet to purchase gifts for their beloveds, but Rose didn't mind. She watched them pass, laughing as they did so, wondering what they were in such a hurry for. This day was not all about the material, but quite the opposite. If anything, the day was about the abstract, but every day with the Doctor was abstract to her now.

Her days with him were spent running, mostly for their lives, or chasing down hostile aliens. There was never a dull moment, never a time when her life wasn't in mortal danger, yet she had never felt so safe. She couldn't take very much with her, though the TARDIS was huge, it was oh so small, but she felt like she had all she could ever want. As long as she had her Doctor and his hand was placed oh so perfectly into hers, she was the most content and happy person on Earth, or the entire universe while she was at it.

That was why she was there, in the market, making her way through the masses of frantic shoppers. She needed to find the perfect present for the Doctor; she had to find some way to say thank you to the most amazing person in her life. The Doctor had shown her so many amazing places and things; he had shown her all of time and space and completely transformed her life into something that was utterly, well…_fantastic_!

If he had only known how much she cared for him, how much she loved him...oh but what was she thinking? He wouldn't feel the same way about her! He was much older than her by far; he had seen things she could only dream about and done things she had only heard about in fairytales. He was a legend, a mighty hero in some cultures and a god to just about half the universe. His adventures had been made into stories, epics told across time and space, instilling fear and awe into their listeners. He was the Doctor, The Oncoming Storm, the last of the Time Lords, and she was Rose Tyler, the pink and yellow human who travelled with him. What could he possibly see in her? She must seem so tiny, so insignificant to him…

Still, she couldn't let that stop her; thoughts like that had no place in a day like Valentine's Day. Besides, doing something nice for someone she cared about wasn't a crime. She'd just have to find him a 'safe' present.

...

The Doctor hadn't always hated Valentine's Day. Once, a very long time ago, so long ago that it felt like a dream, he actually used to look forward to it. He used to wait for the day to come, making sure that he had set the TARDIS timers right so that he could take his family across the stars to Earth, the home of the most romantic holiday in the western galaxies. He used to love to watch his children run along the streets of London, the sights so new and vivid to their young eyes, while he strolled down the cobblestone streets with his wife, laughing along.

Oh, how in love they were all those hundreds of years ago! Even though decades had passed since the war, since he last glimpsed her face, he could still recall every fiber of her being, from her blonde hair and deep blue eyes right down to the perfume she used to wear. _Only for special occasions_ she'd say, but the smell had always lingered on with him. He still had a few of her things left, perfectly preserved in their last state, just in case the urge to remember became too strong to handle. That urge was why he had long since locked their bedroom door, the memories of her, of them, too painful for him to rehash.

Every companion he'd had since the war had asked if he had a room, which he never gave a response to, but the answer was no. He didn't have a room, not anymore, and he didn't want a new one. Instead, he preferred not to sleep at all, and if he was forced into it, even if he managed to fight away his demons and nightmares long enough to get a few hours of rest, he slept in the consol room's chair. It wasn't comfortable to say the least, but it beat the pain he would feel if he went back into their room.

Needless to say, Valentine's Day was only a reminder of the love he was oh so greatly lacking. He no longer had a family to take on trips; he had no wife to laugh with, to shower with love and gifts. No. All he had was a screwdriver and a phone box. And Rose Tyler.

The mention of her had caused the Doctor much distress over the past few months. Her presence, though a soothing and comforting one, one that assuaged his damaged hearts, was becoming more and more confusing to him. He found himself drawn to her for some reason, like she was the most interesting thing he had found in a while. This did have some truth to it though; she definitely was the most astounding human he had crossed by in a long while. She had wit and charm, and not to mention a killer smile. Oh, how he loved to see her smile, the tip of her tongue just barely poking out between her front teeth. It was enough to make him smile along with her.

With Rose, the Doctor had actually begun to feel happy again, as if things could get better. He had not told her about his family, or anything much about his past really, but she didn't seem to mind. He appreciated the fact that she didn't push, that she didn't demand answers. If anything, he respected her more because of it, but lately, his respect had taken a sudden turn into something much deeper.

The Doctor feared that he may have been falling in love with Rose Tyler.

True, they had been together for nearly a year, and yes, he enjoyed her company very much, but the prospect of loving someone else scared the Doctor to death. It wasn't because he didn't want to or because she was human, it was simply because of his experiences in the past. He knew all too well of what happened to the people who travelled with him, of what their fates would bring them. He knew that he only had so much time left with Rose, because he had already taken too much. It was only a matter of time before time took her away from him. Time always took things away, especially the ones he loved.

...

Coming back from a long few hours shopping, Rose had finally been able to locate and purchase the perfect gift for the Doctor. It was small, useful, and was not romantic in the least, making it the ideal present, at least to her. Feeling triumphant, she sauntered back off to the TARDIS, convinced that the Doctor was going to love his present.

_Maybe he'll take me on a walk in the park, _she thought excitedly, the highs of love filling her system. They were always running about, maybe a slow stroll in a place with lots of fresh air would do them some good, but that wasn't really why she wanted the walk. Secretly, she was hoping the Doctor would do something romantic, even if it was by accident. She had never had a walk in the park, not even with Mickey. She spent last Valentine's Day on her sofa with the match on, Mickey yelling at the teley. It wasn't very romantic, but neither was their relationship. There was something different about her and the Doctor, something that she couldn't put her finger on.

Rose was giddy by the time she walked up to the TARDIS, her hands shaking as she opened the door, anticipating the Doctor's reaction to her amazing present. She held it behind her back, giggling like a school girl who had a crush on the new boy. It was quite an unusual sensation for her, but she felt higher than a kite and had no intentions of coming down.

"Doctor!" she called, a laugh slightly hinting at her voice. She hadn't turned around yet, her key was stuck in the lock hole, but she couldn't wait to see the look on his face! "Doctor! I have a surprise for…you…?"

As she turned around, she was quite confused by what she saw. There was the Doctor standing over the consol as usual, running about as if it were any other day. There was a bit of an uneven beat to his step, his movements a tad more choppy than before, but other than that, he looked like business as usual.

"Rose!" he shouted from the other side of the room. "Come look at this reading. I don't think that's right, I mean, it's been blinking for a few decades now, but I don't think it's supposed to be doing that. Unless, of course, it is supposed to be doing that, which then I have no idea what this thing does. Do you know what it does?"

He was babbling a little more than usual, but Rose paid no mind to it.

"No, Doctor, I don't."

"Well then, piece of rubbish that is…"

He shut off the screen and whirled around on his heels, taking off in the other direction. Rose tried to catch up to talk to him, but he seemed to be going a mile per minute, acting as if he was trying to run away from something.

"Doctor…what are you doing?"

"Well, isn't it obvious? I stopped to re-energize the TARDIS and now she's good to go! Anywhere in all of time and space; take your pick Rose! Anywhere you want."

"But, I thought the rift was in Cardiff…"

"Well, there are various rifts that appear periodically over time and certain eras in history, like the Bermuda Triangle. Whole planes go missing and poof! They pop out in some other dimension! The mechanics of it are actually quite astounding but really, it's just a bunch of wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey, stuff."

He stopped to take a breath, and she eyed him carefully. He looked a mess, his hair all skewed in various directions, his tie loosened and crooked, his shirt wrinkled and un-tucked. It was quite unsettling, seeing as though this was the most distraught she'd seen him, but she wanted to know what was causing him this much distress.

"So, you just stopped here, today, to refuel the TARDIS? Nothing else? No other reason for choosing this day and place?"

"No, why? Is today important?"

He furrowed his brow and looked out onto her with big brown eyes. He was trying his best to play dumb, but he knew Rose was a smart girl; she could see right through him. Truth be told, he hadn't meant to land the TARDIS on this date, but it just happened, and now he wished for the day to end. He didn't want to suffer through another Valentine's Day.

"Doctor, today's Valentine's Day!"

"Really?" he said, fake surprise filling his voice. He had gotten good at lying about his emotions over the years, and feigning surprise and happiness was what he excelled in. "I hadn't noticed…"

"Really? You hadn't noticed with all the flowers and such floating around outside?"

"I haven't looked outside." At least that much was truth. "Besides, what's the importance of Valentine's Day anyway? It's a made up holiday made for glorifying love, love that will most likely retreat back into most couples until the same time next year. All it is is a day that gives humans the excuse to let their hormones rage and do crazy things like…like snog random strangers or spend their entire earnings on jewelry. It's a giant scam!"

Rose looked at the Doctor incredulously, the gift hidden behind her back feeling incredible heavy. She felt like she had been punched in the gut, her favorite day in the entire year ruined by the one person she wanted to share it with the most. Still, she plastered on a taught smile and waited for him to continue. She had a feeling he wasn't quite done yet.

"And anyway, it's not like the day holds any importance to us, right? I mean, we don't need an over-glorified holiday to symbolize our friendship. Do we? We have the entire universe to see, and I can show you at least ten, no maybe eleven, sights that are far more beautiful than London on Valentine's Day. What do you say?"

He watched Rose's face carefully, making sure he hadn't pressed any of the wrong buttons, but she looked like a mix between happy and sad, a little bit of anger starting to make its way into the mix. Her left hand was placed curiously behind her back, and she hadn't moved it the entire time. He wondered what she was doing, and why she was hiding her hand from him.

"What's with your hand? Is it okay?"

"It's fine." Rose said through strained teeth. She had to clamp her jaw tight to keep from screaming, or crying. "You know, I'm tired. We can just skip the trip, do it some other time. I'm…I'm not in the travelling mood anymore."

"But it's only four o'clock. The sun's still up."

"Yeah, well, maybe tomorrow."

She shuffled past him, her hand remaining out of sight, and he could actually feel a breeze pass as she crossed him. She didn't even make eye contact either.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Doctor." She told him, inflection gone from her voice, anger if any at all.

And with that, she disappeared down the hall, leaving him alone with the consol and her humming engines. He slumped himself down in the control chair and leaned his head back against the rest, the back of his head hitting the coral behind him. He ran his hands over his face, trying to rub away his age, his memories, and his stupidity.

He hadn't meant to upset Rose, but something told him he had ruined the day for her. _Good work Doctor! You really nailed it this time!_ He scolded himself mentally. It hurt him to see her so upset, but he knew he couldn't let her in, not very close at least. As much as he cared for her, as much as he wanted to love her and be with her forever, he knew it could never be. It might've been selfish to say so, but the only person who would be hurt by this relationship, was him. He knew Rose would move on from this transient life at some point and find someone just as wonderful, if not more so, than he, but he would have to live on, the image of her forever pressed into his memory, and he didn't think he could deal with another lost love. He would have to fight the love that grew deeper in his hearts with every moment by her side, but it would be worth the pain if she ended up safe, if they both ended up safe.

So, in order to protect her, he had to start breaking her heart, and if it meant that he would have to tear down her image of love, then so be it. He knew it would be for her best interest in the end. One day, he hoped she'd thank him for it.

...

Rose hated Valentine's Day. She hated the fact that everyone was happy and in love while she was miserable and upset. She thought the air was suffocating, that it was too sickeningly sweet and sentimental. She despised the couples who were holding hands and kissing and whispering sweet nothings into each other's ears. It all just made her want to punch a pillow, or the Doctor, whichever came to her first.

Most of all, she hated the Doctor. She hated how he could take the most beautiful and magical day of the year and turn it into an analytical trial of human behavior and economic ploys. She didn't know what it was, but he seemed to be doing stuff like that a lot lately, trying to tear down her hopes and dreams of her happily ever after. Just because he was unhappy didn't mean he had to bring her down with her!

She wondered what could make him so cold to such a romantic, special day, but to be honest with herself, she didn't much care. He could be unhappy for all she cared. He could sit down there in the consol room and plug away numbers all day like he did every day. It was all fine with her.

She got up from her bed in her room and marched over to her dresser drawers, the wooden surface covered with knick-knacks and clothes. There were a few trinkets from 51st century London and New New York, a dress she took from Victorian England, the sprout from the Earth Burning she received so long ago, and a few notes along with various alien currencies she had yet to distinguish from. In the midst of all of this was a tiny box wrapped in silver paper with a tiny red bow. It almost looked like a Christmas present, but she knew it wasn't; after all, she had gotten it wrapped only an hour previous.

Angry, she snatched the present up off the dresser and ripped the perfect wrapping clean off, revealing a small box no bigger than the palm of her hand. Very carefully, she took the top off of the box and scooped up the contents with her other hand. What she took out was beautiful, a piece of glass crafted to look like the night sky. It was one of those glass pieces that had the bubbly deigns within them, this one a shade of dark navy glass bubbled in with various white-ish, silvery stars. It's similarity to the night sky above almost identical. She had seen it in the window of the shop and known immediately that's what she wanted to get him. It wasn't very Valentine's Day oriented, but she at least thought he would appreciate its beauty. Apparently, he didn't appreciate anything at all.

Furious at herself, for thinking that the Doctor could ever really care about anyone other than himself, she threw the piece of glass at the wall. She chucked it with all her strength, channeling all her anger at the Doctor into it. Time seemed to slow as she watched it move, and she suddenly felt regret for doing that to such a beautiful object, but it was too late. The glass shattered into a million tiny fragments, the navy blue night scattering across the floor, the silver stars dissolved into nothingness. It let out such a definite crash, a definite break, like her heart.

She kneeled down to the remnants of the night, uncaring whether the Doctor heard it or not; he was probably too busy to care anyway. She was in no mood to pick up her mess, so she let it sit there for a while as she stared at it. It was ironic really, how one tiny glass sculpture could represent so much more than the night sky. Rose almost let out a snort, a sign of vague recognition as she saw herself lying on the floor instead.

The night was broken, shattered into a million pieces, never coming back. The Doctor had picked up Rose and shattered her into a million pieces, all the hopes she once carried never coming back.


End file.
